Activists, residents, and community members will come together to discuss the struggle against gentrification and displacement in Boyle Heights. Boyle Heights is at the epicenter of a spatially contested struggle for shelter in the midst of Los Angeles’ crisis of housing affordability. This renewed interested in the neighborhood comes after decades of disinvestment, racial discrimination, and substandard employment opportunities for its long-term residents. As a historic entry point for Mexican immigrants into the country, gentrification in Boyle Heights has not only taken a toll on the neighborhood’s most vulnerable populations, but it has eroded the vital social and cultural institutions of self-determination. But the threat of displacement has also inspired a rigorous and thriving social movement in response. In a moderated discussion, panelists will explore the realities of gentrification and the organizing that has emerged as a response to provide context to the debate about gentrification in the neighborhood, and similar debates taking place across Los Angeles.

The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs building is located in the northeast section of the UCLA campus, adjacent to the Murphy Sculpture Garden. Visitors to the Public Affairs Building should plan on entering campus at the Westholme entrance off Hilgard Avenue, then drive up to the Lot 2 kiosk and pay the attendant for parking in UCLA Lot 3 or Lot 2 (depending on availability).